Transilluminating hood



Feb. 9, 1937. 2 w. D. WHITESIDE TRANSILLUMINATING HOOD Filed April 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Do dgmveu'ron Feb. 9, 1937. w. D. WHITESIDE TRANSILLUMINNJl-ING noon Filed April 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mlka l dgmvsmon ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in transilluminating apparatus and more particularly to hoods for use in diagnosing or treating by the aid of transillumination.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an eflicient device of the character specified for attachment to the head or face of the patient and by means of which a transilluminating and other instruments, such as 10 mouth mirrors, probes and the like, may be conveniently manipulated in the mouth from the outside of the device over the areas or parts under scrutiny or treatment, and which is adapted to be positively sealed by the face or head 15 of the patient and the face of the physician or diagnostician to prevent outside light rays from interfering with the transilluminating operation.

Another object is to, provide a device of the character and for the purposes set forth embodying an eye piece adjustable on the hood into various positions for viewing areas or parts being diagnosed or treated from different angles.

Other objects are to provide a device of this character which is light in weight so that it may be attached to the head or face of the patient without discomfort, is strong and durable, inexpensive to manufacture and compact in form so that it can be readily carried in a physicians bag or satchel.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention all of which together with the exact nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the following description and claims are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating the use of my improved hood in dental treatment or diagnosis.

Figure 2 is a view in top plan drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating one of a pair of apertures with which the hood is provided for the insertion of instruments into the hood, and

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating closures,

shutters or flaps for said apertures. Referring to the drawings. by numeral, the illustrated embodiment of my improved hood comprises a substantially crescent shaped casing I having an open rear side 2 and formed of a longitudinally curved substantially rectangular front plate 3 terminating in squared ends 4, and flat crescent shaped upper and lower plates 5 and 0 suitably connected to the curvededges of the front plate 3, respectively, in parallel rela- 5 tion thereto and providing upper and lower concave edges at the open side of the casing I. The casing I is designed to be secured to the face or head of a patient with its rear concave edges against the face or head by a pair of elastic straps I suitably secured to the plate 3 and a buckle 8 on one of said straps. The upper plate 5 is provided in its rear edge with a centrally disposed notch 9 to fit over the. patients nose when the hood is positioned over the latter. 5

The rear edges of the casing l are padded for the comfort and protection of thepatient by a strip or band I0 of suitable material, such as felt, extending around said edges and folded upon itself to provide upper and lower flaps II and I2 cemented to said edges. To further contribute to the comfort and protection of the patient the endsd of the plate I are provided with rounded or bead-like edges I3.

At its rear edges the casing I is provided with means for forming a seal between the casing, and the face or head of the patient to prevent light from entering around said edges. Preferably the sealing means takes the form of a band of fabric I4 stitched, as at I5, to the plates l, 5 and 6 in front of the padded strip I0 through openings I5 provided in said plates. The band of fabric I4 extends over the rear edges of the casing, and the padding strip I0 to provide a free flap portion I6 projecting rearwardly of said edges. An elastic band IT is hemmed into the free edge of the flap IE to provide for a snug fit of the flap against the face or head of the patient.

The front plate 3 is provided with a pair of opposed apertures I 8 adjacent its ends, respec- 4O tively, for the insertion of transilluminating and other instruments into the casing. The apertures I8 are preferably squared and sealed against the passage of light therethrough by upper and lower shutter flaps l9 and 20, re- 5 speotively, overlapping to permit the insertion of an instrument therebetween. The shutter flaps i9 and 20 are formed of any suitable flexible and preferably resilient material such as sheet rubber and areremovably secured to the edges of the apertures I8 by spaced apart pins or studs 2| projecting from the plate 2 in position to pierce the edges of said flaps I9 and 20.

Intermediate the apertures I8 the front plate 3 is provided with a rectangular longitudinally extending slot providing a sight opening 22 extending close to the apertures l8.

The hood includes a tubular eye piece 23 the outer end of which conforms in shape to the facial contour around the eyes so that the physician or diagnostician may seal said end by pressing his face against the same. To further facilitate sealing the eye piece the outer end thereof is padded by a strip of felt 24 cemented or otherwise secured around said end. The eye piece 23 is slidably mounted in the front plate '3 for movement lengthwise of the sight opening 22. For this purpose said eye piece is mounted at its inner end upon a substantially rectangular slide 25, shorter than the sight opening 22, and curved in conformity with the curvature of the plate 3. The upper and lower edges of the slide 25 are slidably mounted between the plate 3 and a pair of upper and lower guide strips 26 and 2'! secured to said plate 3 above the upper and lower edges of said sight opening 22, respectively, and spaced from the plate 3 to provide through guideways 28. The eye piece 23 is designed to be moved into a central position relative to the sight opening 22 or into either of two extreme positions at the ends of said sight opening, respectively, so that a selected area or part may be viewed from different angles. For closing the uncovered part of the sight opening 22 in either of the positions of the eye piece 23, a pair of shutters, preferably of sheet metal are slidably mounted in said guideways 28 for movement past the slide 25 longitudinally of the sight opening 22. The shutters 29 are formed with straight side edges and otherwise designed so that when the eye piece 23 is in its central position they may be positioned at opposite ends of the sight opening 22 to close said ends. or so that in either of the extreme positions of said sight piece they may be slid into side by side position at either end of the slide 25 to close the portion of the sight opening 22 uncovered by movement of the slide 25 to these positions. The top and bottom edges of the shutters 29 are provided with suitable finger grips 3i] engaging the outer edges of the guide strips 26 and 21 and serving to guide the shutters 29 in their sliding movement.

A hood constructed as described in the foregoing, when positioned over the mouth of a patient, for dental work, permits easy manipulation of a transilluminator and other instruments in the mouth of the patient and from theoutside of the hood and positively excludes outside light when properly positioned on the face of the patient. It may be readily positioned over the nostrils or over the frontal and maxillary sinus regions for examination of these parts with the aid of transillumination in the usual manner or it may be positioned over the mastoid cell regions for use in examining these regions by the aid of a transilluminating instrument. It may be worn by the patient without discomfort or without tiring and provides an inexpensive device which obviates the necessity for using a dark room and cumbersome floor and desk equipment such as have heretofore been required in connection with diagnosing and treating with the aid of transillumination. Furthermore it can be manufactured at a lower cost placing it within the reach of small practitioners.

The foregoing is a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive and that right is herein reserved to changes and modifications of details described falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A hood for attachment to the face or head of a person and comprising, a casing having an open end and including a curved plate forming the opposite end and sides of the casing, said plate having a pair of apertures at opposite sides of said casing, a pair of crescent shaped plates forming concave edges at the open end of the casing, flexible overlapping flaps covering said apertures, an eye piece mounted on the curved plate intermediate said apertures and having a sight opening therein communicating with the interior of the casing, and means for attaching the casing to the head or face with the open end against the same.

2. A hood for attachment to the face or head of a person and comprising, a casing having an open end and including a curved plate forming the opposite end and sides of the casing, said plate having a pair of apertures on opposite sides of said casing, a pair of crescent shaped forming concave edges at the open end of the casing, flexible overlapping flaps covering said apertures, an eye piece mounted on the plate for movement from side to side of the casing to different positions intermediate said apertures and having a sight opening therein communicating with the interior of the casing in the different positions of said sight piece, means on said plate for sealing the casing against the entrance of light therein around said eye piece in said positions of the latter, and means for attaching the casing to the head or face with the open end against the same.

3. A hood for attachment to the face or head of a person and comprising, a casing having an open end and including a curved plate forming the opposite end and sides of the casing, said plate having a pair of apertures at opposite sides of said casing, a pair of crescent shaped plates forming concave edges at the open end of the casing, flexible overlapping flaps covering said apertures, a slide on said curved plate movable from side to side of said casing to different positions intermediate said apertures, an eye piece on the slide having a sight opening therein communicating with the interior of the casing, means on the curved plate cooperating with the slide to seal the casing against the entrance of light around said slide in any position of the latter, and means for attaching the casing to the head or face with the open end against the same.

4. A hood for attachment to the face or head of a person and comprising, a casing having an open end and including a curved plate forming the opposite end and sides of the casing, said plate having a pair of apertures at opposite sides of said casing, a pair of crescent shaped plates forming concave edges at the open end of the casing, flexible overlapping flaps covering said apertures, a slide on said curved plate movable from side to side of said casing to different positions intermediate said apertures, an eye piece on the slide having a sight opening therein communicating with the interior of the casing, means on the curved plate cooperating with the slide to seal the casing against the entrance of light around said slide in any position of the latter, and means for attaching the casing to the head or face with the open end against the same, and comprising a pair of shutters slidably mounted on said plate.

5. A hood for attachment to the face or head of a person and comprising, a casing having an open end and including a curved plate forming the opposite end and sides of the casing, said plate having a pair of apertures at opposite sides of said casing, apair of crescent shaped plates forming concave edges at the open end of the casing, flexible overlapping flaps covering said apertures, a slide on said curved plate movable from side to side of said casing to different positions intermediate said apertures, an eye piece on the slide having a sight opening therein communicating with the interior of the casing, means on the curved plate cooperating with the slide to seal the casing against the entrance of light around said slide in any position of the latter, and means for attaching the casing to the head or face with the open end against the same, and comprising a pair of shutters slidably mounted on said curved plate for positioning at opposite ends of the slide, respectively, and in side by side relation at either end of said slide.

6. A hood for attachment to the face or head of a person and comprising, a casing having an open end and including a curved plate forming the opposite end and sides of the casing, said plate having a pair of apertures at opposite sides of said casing, a pair of crescent shaped plates forming concave edges at the open end of the casing, a band of flexible material surrounding the rear edges of the casing and having a tensioned rear edge projecting beyond said edges of the casing to fit closely against the head or face, flexible overlapping flaps covering said apertures, an eye piece mounted on the curved plate intermediate said apertures and having a sight opening therein communicating with the interior of the casing, and means for attaching the casing tothe head or face with the open end against the same.

WILFRED D. WHITESIDE. 

